This Monsanto CCR (LR 14913) is still very young, and is not yet in its ideal drinking window, which is probably 2025-2037. Decanted one hour before dinner, this needs at least two and was just becoming a much better wine as dinner ended. It has aromatic complexity, great acidity, firm tannins, red and dark fruits, black pepper and dark spices, and a long bittersweet finish. Excellent QPR.
2 people found this helpful, do you? Yes - No
/ Comment
Perfect bottle from gaschief’s cellar. A bit sour to start, tight. Opened up and was enjoyable with Octopus @ Che FICO San Francisco. opened up despite it’s age into an experience of tannins and bitez
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No
/ Comment
Had with spaghetti and Caesar salad. This wine is in a nice place. Delicious and well balanced. Not sure how much more life before it starts to slide. Drink up now!
1 person found this helpful, do you? Yes - No
/ Comment
This (LR14913) is drinking very well right now and should be very good for another 6-10 years. Double decanted and served 30 minutes later, it's a smooth, elegant and juicy Sangiovese with a great acid backbone, integrated tannins, and a hint of sweetness on the palate. The cherry fragrances and flavors dominate but there is a great earthiness and spiciness. Excellent QPR.
2 people found this helpful, do you? Yes - No
/ Comment
starting pretty flat and jammy, even after two hours of aeration. A bit more structured, fresher and balanced on the second day, but all in all a rather disappointing bottle. Fruity but one dimensional and a bit floppy on the mid palate. pretty short finish. Probably to much of the best grapes went in to the "Il Poggio". :-(
Last note: The left overs on day 4 were best. Astonishingly freshness was back, also grip and length.
It seems to have a longer life than I had expected before. Maybe in transition, so better wait and try again in two years.
2 people found this helpful, do you? Yes - No
/ Comment
Quite a light weight Tuscan pleasure, clean and fresh, plenty of cherry fruit and a little tobacco, almost fully resolved with just a few fine tannins left to give it a nice texture in the mouth, good finish too
1 person found this helpful, do you? Yes - No
/ Comment
Medium-bodied, with tart cherry fruit on the palate. Red fruit & menthol on the nose. Very good, and fully mature, but with no indications of any likely demise, so call it drink or hold.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No
/ Comment
There is light sediment in the bottle after decanting. The nose smells like black cherry, mineral, forest floor, and cinnamon. The body is medium with cherry, licorice, and an earthy component coming through. The wine finishes medium with med+ acidity.
1 person found this helpful, do you? Yes - No
/ Comment
This was corked. It had that wet newspaper taste and smell. In and around that, it was a decent Chianti Riserva. We drank it anyway, but the off-putting flavor and smell never lifted. So, a disappointment.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No
/ Comment
Served at cellar temperature after decant due to crumbling cork. Mature nose with black cherry and spice; smooth, dark fruit on the palate with enjoyable tannins on the finish. Paired nicely with beef lasagna on a Sunday night.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No
/ Comment
PnP. Medium red with lightening at the rim. Subtle Sangiovese nose of spice. Quite silky on the palate but with some lingering tannin which becomes more apparent with air. This went very well with a tomato and eggplant fettucine; tannins disappeared and the fruit became more dominant. Nice wine at age 10.
1 person found this helpful, do you? Yes - No
/ Comment
Opened 1 hour in advance and poured. Needed some swirling to get it to wake up. It showed its best with a fresh tomato basil burrata pasta. Really played well with the garlic in the dish.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No
/ Comment
Trying this again after *6 years*. Its developed some bricking, however the tannin and acid are still fairly prominent. I don't mind this in a wine, and think its tasting great now. Not sure if this will develop further, but it seems to have several years remaining before I'd worry about it turning a corner.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No
/ Comment
Really enjoyed my previous bottle in 2016 and thought it would perform on that level for the coming 10 years in my proper cellar. We’ll according to this bottle that was not the case. Slightly brownish rim, nose is more mature but a quite one dimensional. Don’t see a bright future as a Chianti Classico long runner. Drink up and go home or bottle variation?
1 person found this helpful, do you? Yes - No
/ Comment
Red ruby with very slight bricking around the edges. Classic aromas of spicy red berries, violets, soil and hint of cigar box. Medium-bodied palate shows sweet and spicy bright red crushed fruits/plums, medium (+) acidity, no tannins, floral and wood perfumed finish. This is the best showing for this wine from my stash and it was better the second day! What a great value.
1 person found this helpful, do you? Yes - No
/ Comment
1.5 hour decant and paired with beef/turkey Spaghetti.
No medicinal notes this time - medium red color with clear meniscus. On nose, balsamic, herbs (rosemary/sage), black cherry and menthol - nice clean nose. Medium+ body, medium+ acidity, integrated tannins and long finish. Flavor profile consistent with nose ex. menthol. Has aged very well. 91-92 range. Will start drinking wines from this producer 9+ years from vintage from now on.
Hadn't opened one of these in 5 years and this has definitely improved. Much more dark fruit and much better balanced than prior bottles. Acidity and tannins have receded and this was very pleasant.
1 person found this helpful, do you? Yes - No
/ Comment
On opening, quite thin, somewhat tart with iodine notes. But with an hour or so of air, this filled out quite a bit, and by the second night this was showing leather, brambly/rustic/crunchy red fruits and a long finish, and still some iodine. Great with Italian fare.
2 people found this helpful, do you? Yes - No
/ Comment
This needed a little air to open up. Compared with a 2010 Felsina CCR from a couple nights ago, this is a little leaner and tarter and it shows more minerality. It also has a tomatoe leaf accent and seems a little more rustic and angular. We drank this without food, but I think it might shine at the dinner table.
2 people found this helpful, do you? Yes - No
/ Comment
When it comes to wine, it's not bad to be wrong about some things. I pegged this as having reached its apex, and thought it was NOT about the secondaries but, here we are almost two years after the last bottle and this tastes like a young-ish Brunello, with leafiness, a little tobacco, lots of tart, crunchy acid. Much less round and much more complex than the last time. Still has that really clean finish that Monsanto has nailed down so well. Last of the '10s, sitting on the '13s, might need to buy some more recent vintages. Sadly, the price has slightly crept up.
3 people found this helpful, do you? Yes - No
/ Comment
Balanced, rather fullbodied but with typical acidity, long and drying in the finish. Dark fruits and a hint of licorice, something between a modern and a classic style of C.C. Riserva. Bravo! Drink now and until 2022. It won´t further improve.
1 person found this helpful, do you? Yes - No
/ Comment
A bit disappointed. Fruit has faded and left with a brooding, rough, rustic Chianti. Nose of black cherry, balsamic vinegar, barrique, a touch of tobacco leaf and herbs. With faded fruit, balsamic notes dominate and a bit of spice on the short finish. I suspect I caught this bottle post peak and while still interesting, not as enjoyable as previous bottles.
2 people found this helpful, do you? Yes - No
/ Comment
This is drinking beautifully right now. An incredible earthiness underlies the delicious dark red fruits and plum of this lovely wine with some tobacco and leather on the finish.
1 person found this helpful, do you? Yes - No
/ Comment
Nose of red fruit, sweet oak, tobacco, olives, plum & menthol w/ a balsamic finish. Lots going on but not completely harmonious. Lush mouth feel, wild berry fruits, well rounded and finishes w long cherries & spices. Just misses being transcendent. But an enjoyable, well rounded wine with almost touch much going on and lacking that overall focus. Best now - 2022
1 person found this helpful, do you? Yes - No
/ Comment
Rated this 91-92 in 2014. A bottle late last year (and this bottle) had a medicinal taste that I did not like - it was not as noticeable 48 hours later (this wine should age well as it did not degrade over that time). Did not take notes. Will open remaining bottles 2020+ given other CT notes. 89-90 today (still an enjoyable bottle of wine and will buy more recent vintages but not this vintage '10) again.
Rather simple. Surprising given the producer and vintage, did not change at all from opening and then drinking across a 4 hour window. Good acidity, nice fruit, but would have rather this been a simple younger Chianti than what it was.
1 person found this helpful, do you? Yes - No
/ Comment
I broke my own rule about drinking another bottle before 2020, and I was rewarded. The wine was poured though a gravity aerator and came alive almost immediately. Big fragrance profile of plums, black cherry and hints of violet and spice. Wonderful flavors of ripe red fruits and spice, with great structure and delineation. Sappy acidity and firm but well-integrated tannins. A long, long mineral and bitter cherry finish. A tremendous food wine. Great QPR.
On bottle variation: is it possible that they don't fully blend all the wine that goes into this label? If you look at my previous notes for this vintage, I liked each bottle, but this one has exploded on the scene and seems qualitatively different and more ready than the others.
2 people found this helpful, do you? Yes - No
/ Comment
Very good chianti. This has matured significantly since I last tried it. It still has many years left and will likely improve. Still young but had mature qualities. For the price, a really great wine.
1 person found this helpful, do you? Yes - No
/ Comment
This wine shows a lot of cherry and fairly high acidity. Went well with spaghetti. The wine was actually best right after opening. After being opened a few hours drying tannins became dominant.
1 person found this helpful, do you? Yes - No
/ Comment
Clear red ruby in color. Lifted aromas of bright red cherries, cranberries, tobacco, soil and woodsy perfume give way to a medium bodied wine showing sweet-tart crushed red cherries, savory brown spices, medium (+) acidity, hint of unresolved oak and a licorice laden finish.
3 people found this helpful, do you? Yes - No
/ Comment
Three years since I've opened one of these. A lot more integrated than previous bottles but a little on the simple side today. Fruit forward -- cherry and cherry pit with good acid lift but not too much more going on. I'll wait several years for my next bottle in hopes it regains some complexity as it matures.
1 person found this helpful, do you? Yes - No
/ Comment
Making short ribs in a red wine braise for dinner tonight, so checking out a couple Chianti to pair up with the meat. According to CT, I haven't had this in over a year.
Translucent ruby in the glass; cherry fruit on the nose with an earthy note.
Sweet & sour cherry fruit on the palate, nice lift from the acidity, decent persistence. Very likable, and off this bottle, still has time in front of it for further nuance/development. I haven't started to dig into my 2010 Brunello yet, but if Chianti is an accurate precursor, I prefer 2010 to the 2006 vintage.
2 people found this helpful, do you? Yes - No
/ Comment
Didn't note color. Medicinal (almost overbearing) with cherry & tart cherry on nose. Medium+ body, good structure (medium acids & tannins) with medium+ finish. Flavor profile on palate was similar to nose. I really enjoyed this in 2014. Today not as much. 88+/- today.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No
/ Comment
Red ruby in color. True regional characteristics emerge from the glass -- leather, dark cherries, oak, hint of tobacco and violets. Medium bodied palate shows good balance of sweet-tart crushed cherries, leather, medium (+) acidity and finishing with a hint of licorice and oak.
2 people found this helpful, do you? Yes - No
/ Comment
Fantastic wine, especially for the money. Nose of oak, leather, tobacco, dark berries, cherry & spice. Balanced, well integrated fruit, complex and elegant. Finish goes on for 45+ and flavors keep developing and building - w/ balsamic notes on the finish. Excellent. Drink other bottles soon.
1 person found this helpful, do you? Yes - No
/ Comment
Ruby in color. Ripe tobacco leaves, leather and spicy dark berries on the nose. Lovely palate shows good balance of sweet dark crushed berries and acidity, soil tones, strong note of tobacco and a spicy & perfumed finish.
1 person found this helpful, do you? Yes - No
/ Comment
This wine still has many years of evolving to do, it has not even entered its peak drinking window yet. It is still in a tight, closed phase and seems to have taken on darker color and noticeably bigger tannins since I last had it. The wine is dense, packed with fruit and spice, with a big structure from acid, minerals and those big tannins, all in balance and with refinement. It needs a lot of air, but we would all be better off leaving it in the cellar for drinking 2020-2030.
1 person found this helpful, do you? Yes - No
/ Comment
Still very tart, and not as round as I remembered. I don't think is going to decline anytime soon, but I also don't see a lot of complexity in the offing. I could be completely wrong about that, but there you go. I've somehow nearly wiped out a case of this, between drinking and sharing, so it's time to look for new vintages or some other Sangio. Few CCRs are as reliable for the money as this one.
Popped and poured. Nose of fruity sour cherry, earth, leather and herbs. Balanced flavor of cherry. Impressed by its smooth but solid structure. Good amount of tannin in good shape. Full body. Acidity was just right, obviously lower than usual Chianti Classico. Drank very comfortably. Easy drinking and straight forward. No complexity. Perfect partner with food. Structure declined quickly over time. Drink now and no need to age further.
1 person found this helpful, do you? Yes - No
/ Comment
Tasted upon opening, it was very tight and awkward, with prominent acid and tannin. Decanted two hours before serving, it was beautifully integrated. Fragrances of dark cherry, dried herbs, mint, and flavors of sweet cherry backed by firm acids and tannins that are still slightly puckering. It has a gentle, silky and very long finish, with a mineral dryness. Peak drinking window is probably 2020-2027.
Finished the bottle 24 hours later and it had taken on a sweeter, richer flavor profile. Delicious.
2 people found this helpful, do you? Yes - No
/ Comment
Drinking well now, and a great value for the price. Soft and easy drinking. Cherry, other red fruits, tar, leather; yet soft. The mid-palate and body are a bit watery.
The WS note is pretty spot on. I also noted that this wine didn't have the overbearing acidity which is more common than I'd like at this price point.
1 person found this helpful, do you? Yes - No
/ Comment
Linear and elegant, this is classically styled Chianti Classico, with slightly unripe black cherry flavors at the core, and that wonderful Tuscan push-pull between sweet and bitter. The acidity is ample and the secondary flavors are well-balanced, including dried tobacco, leather, and tomato leaf. Moderately long finish.
2 people found this helpful, do you? Yes - No
/ Comment
La robe du vin est rouge cerise, tirant légèrement sur le sanguin. Le nez dévoile une note balsamiques, des épices, les cerises séchés, un jolie boisé et après aération on y perçoit également la mûre. La bouche est goûteuse, concentré, appuyé par une acidité élevé, les tanins sont présents mais fins et tout en douceur. Le vin démontre une belle profondeur en somme, avec une rétro sur la mûre suivi d'une saine amertume en finale qui s'allonge longuement en bouche. Très bien!
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No
/ Comment
After the initial taste and smell I let this decant for about 2 hours. Nose of strawberry, cherry, balsamic, earth and dried flowers. The palate has dark berries and a mineral note with med+ acidity. Great stuff with a plate of spaghetti with meat sauce. Drank out of a Zalto Universal.
2 people found this helpful, do you? Yes - No
/ Comment
Agree with Wine Strategist below. This one is to hold, or perhaps start drinking from 2016. My fifth, and best bottle. Straight outta the bottle the wine reeks of cooked tomatoes and a rather nasty liver scent. After two hours in the decanter the wine transforms completely. Cherries! Cherries! More cherries! A hint of lead pencil. Extremely traditional Sangiovese. Fairly one dimensional. But what a dimension! Very well built. Solid and honest. Paired with a heavy, oak grilled, T-bone Fiorentina and spinach salad. The wine does not have any trouble at all handling the heavy meat. The nice acidity makes this a perfect food partner. Outstanding QPR. 90 - 91.
1 person found this helpful, do you? Yes - No
/ Comment
Deep ruby red in color. Nice aromas of dark berries, ripe tobacco leaves, spices and violets. Sweet and expansive in the mouth with crushed berry liqueur, medium acidity, melting tannins and a long perfumed finish. Excellent QPR.
1 person found this helpful, do you? Yes - No
/ Comment
Open this now as a PnP, and you will hate it. But, if you can give it two hours in wide-bottom decanter and serve at cellar temp AND have it with food, you'll at least like it. That said, this has a ton of buried, tightly wound raw material, all of it quite good. At first, it's reduced, then it moves to acres and acres of autumn leaves and mushroom fields. Undergrowth galore for the first hour, then notes of leather and dry soil. By the two hour mark, after quite a bit of active swirling, the fruits are there, even if just a little, and damn, they're pretty. The body is medium at most, though I feel it will fill out with another 5-6 years. This is almost severe, but, it has the structure that will reward if you give it at least 5 more years and a lot of air. Bury this in the cellar, maybe give it to your heirs, because this needs time. HOLD. 14,0% abv. recommended
PnP, served non-blind (yes, I knew it was too young)
https://italianwine.blog/
8 people found this helpful, do you? Yes - No
/ Comment
Medium body; some complexity; delicious. Opening up after an hour decant. Cherry, forest floor, integrated tannins, and a nice finish. The wine seems a little thin on the front of the palate, but then builds nicely, with a full mouth feel on the swallow. I am tasting it without food, but the wine would be even better with food. I wish I had more.
1 person found this helpful, do you? Yes - No
/ Comment
PnP. Medium red. Rather closed on the nose. More on the red fruit side of the spectrum. Medium light on the palate - quite tight on the finish. Will see how it does with more air. This does open up and show more texture on the palate over time; should improve over the next couple of years but not a great 2010.
1 person found this helpful, do you? Yes - No
/ Comment
Drank with friends on its own. Would love to drink with food. Maybe a meat lovers pizza for my second bottle. I believe more cellar time will make t better. I will buy more
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No
/ Comment
Firstly, i dont believe for a second this wine has reached its peak plateau. Monsanto lives for a long time! I still think this is a primary expression, just beginning, ever so sligtly to peel off the layers of harsh acidity present on the palate. The Nose is where the business is, still, with lovely tobacco, licorice, menthol red fruit and earthy tones. It has budged, a bit since my last tasting, but i am in no hurry to begin drinking my remaining bottles. I would rather drink the 01,04, 07,or even 09 (which is still primary as well) at the moment.
3 people found this helpful, do you? Yes - No
/ Comment
My go-to pizza wine. Monsanto varies a bit with the vintage but in my experience never disappoints. There are notes here about the wine being too thin or being too dense, but I tend to find it just right in that it has enough leather, earth and acid to complement the food, but enough fruit to drink on its own after the food is gone. Ages well, and incredibly fairly priced. This and Vajra's nebbiolo rosso are, for my money, a sure thing and great value.
5 people found this helpful, do you? Yes - No
/ Comment
Translucent ruby in the glass; cool red fruits on the otherwise reticent nose.
Medium-bodied, with primarily red fruits - decent persistence and reasonable acidity. I have been underwhelmed with this wine on two previous occasions, and tonight it's still somewhat straightforward, but the wine's flavors are clean & focused and this is an acceptable pizza wine.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No
/ Comment
Has opened some over the last two years, still showing a nice earthiness, good acid, though maybe a little thin on fruit. It should age well over the next few years, best with medium to rich food.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No
/ Comment
Very transparent crimson Nose closed at first with rusty nails, opens on plum, cherry, herbs and tobacco Quite bitter, fruit and lots of cedar. Very classic, wait 5 years
1 person found this helpful, do you? Yes - No
/ Comment
I'm not getting the "thin" sense at all on my second bottle. If anything, a little rounder and weightier than my usual dish of Chianti. After a few days drinking wine chosen for me, this was my go-to upon arriving home. While this may have some years to go, I think it's about where it's going to be, given the lower acidity than the '08. Could be wrong, the fruit here is strong and well developed, but I don't think this is going to be fundamentally about the secondaries, so I just don't see a lot of upside in waiting. I'll hold off for six months before opening another and it I see any changes, I'll re-evaluate; otherwise, time to find another vintage of this reliable overperformer.
2 people found this helpful, do you? Yes - No
/ Comment
three things to describe this wine : red fruits, well marked acidity and rather thin, it almost reminded me of a Bourgogne wine, not the style of Sangiovese I prefer
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No
/ Comment
Cherry red color Fresh and clean aromas of crushed rock and deep rich fruit. Mineral laden fruit flavored with an angular structure. Delicious now. Appears to have many good years ahead. Tasting note over three days, still going strong on third day.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No
/ Comment
Glad I left this one to rest for a while. This is rounder and fleshier than the '08 was, but with lots of good Sangio acid, nice cherry both sour and sweet, a nice marriage of oak as well. Monsanto always smells very clean to me, without funk, but with a little rose aroma, and this fits that as well. Glad I have more, and they seem ready to drink.
1 person found this helpful, do you? Yes - No
/ Comment
Translucent ruby in the glass (a shade or two darker than the 2012 Produttori); red fruits and sotto bosco on the nose.
More "together" on the palate right now than the Produttori, but at this point not hinting at favorable future developments either. Certainly likable, but given the vintage and the producer, not overly memorable.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No
/ Comment
A bargain (on sale), everyday chianti. Last bottle. Bought based on reviews, not sure wht all the hype was. Solid, weekday chianti to be consumed with food. Went great with onion laden gyros.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No
/ Comment
Pop and pour. Nose is slightly funky in a good way. Some bright cherry and mineral notes come through as well. Medium mouth feel, perhaps a bit denser than typical chianti (good). Slightly dusty flavor also cherry and maybe a bit of stewed prune or compote of some sort. This is really good.
2 people found this helpful, do you? Yes - No
/ Comment
Aerated with a Vinturi and decanted for one hour. Cherry, earth, espresso, tobacco and spice. Leads to a medium length finish. Medium bodied. Food friendly. A very good QPR.
1 person found this helpful, do you? Yes - No
/ Comment
Fruit deepens and helps manage the high acidity with air. Really good food wine. Deep dark fruits. Long finish that can border on sour every once in a while.
1 person found this helpful, do you? Yes - No
/ Comment
Agree with Brian of the vine below; the fruit surged into the air at the pop. Left it rest ~90 mins and took the first sip with lots of fruit up front, good acid, medium body. A very well made Chianti with +++QPR. The label seems almost USA Today, but the wine rewards. Glad to have three more and look forward to them, but expect them to be consumed in the next 12 months or so.
3 people found this helpful, do you? Yes - No
/ Comment
Nice red cherry and strawberry fruit up front with some earth, licorice, and smoke. Good acidity throughout and decent finish. Nice food wine, seemed to get better over the evening.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No
/ Comment
Wonderful with spicy italian sausage meat sauce over bow tie pasta. Deep cherry nose and perfect acidity to cut the sausage fat and complement the tomato sauce. Not overly complex and medium short finish drops some of the points, but a bargain at the price for a quality riserva.
1 person found this helpful, do you? Yes - No
/ Comment
I like this more than some of the previous commenters, but that makes sense, as this wine needs some time to shine. Really good now, perfect with homemade sausage and leek pizza. This kept improving over several hours. Monsanto is our perennial favorite Italian for quality, value, and versatility (some Piedmont wines are equals though). A textbook example of a widely available, inexpensive wine that is excellent. Drink or hold for up to a decade, maybe more.
1 person found this helpful, do you? Yes - No
/ Comment
Aerated with a Vinturi and decanted one hour. Aromas of cherry, leather, spice and smoke. Cherry, earth, mineral and fine tannins on the mid-palate. Leads to a medium length, soft, dry finish. Medium bodied with good mineral character. A very good QPR and food friendly wine. Steady performer, year over year. Paired with spinach ravioli, turkey sausage and marinara sauce.
1 person found this helpful, do you? Yes - No
/ Comment
same as the first bottle. Really delicious stuff from 2010. Just give it the air it needs. We will see if it has legs for aging as I will hold one bottle for at least 10 years. Very pleasant food friendly wine. Great structure.
2 people found this helpful, do you? Yes - No
/ Comment
wow with given airtime of 2 hours passively, this opened up nicely after a basic Bourgogne PN. This was full of fruit, tannin and spices that made our Italian fare really jumped to life. The Pinot Noir was a very good food wine and I have had several vintages of this wine but the 2010 is really good. I held back me bottle to age just like 2007. We will revisit after 10+ years post vintage.
2 people found this helpful, do you? Yes - No
/ Comment
Appearance: Medium ruby with an orange tinge on the outer rim. On the nose, juniper, tree bark, anise, iron and earth. On the palate - light to medium bodied with flavors of bright, red fruits, pine, iron. Firm but pleasing chalky tannins. This is a formidable earthy, mineral bomb of a Chianti. It's also very much a food wine. Don't open this just because you want to drink a red. Open it because you need a bottle of red with the food you are preparing. We paired this with a bbq'd tri tip, oven fries and salad. Great summer meal with a perfect Chianti.
4 people found this helpful, do you? Yes - No
/ Comment
Surprised at the notes below, This was undrinkable for 24hrs. After a double decant it still smelled awful, no fruit, but no evidence of cork, just harsh like tree bark and rubber. Next day it tasted much more like a solid chianti, though still tight. If you have any of these, forget about them for a good while, or if you open it and it seems no good, cork it and try it again the next day. Surprising for such a low-priced chianti, but its one for the long-term.
1 person found this helpful, do you? Yes - No
/ Comment
We are far from experts on Chianti Classico wines, but this seemed to be a solid tasty wine for the money. We wanted a sangiovese based wine to go with our red pasta sauce and this worked perfectly. Wish we gave it a decant before serving as it improved significantly over an hour.
The most accurate rating I can give this wine is incomplete. Day 1 was really just high acid and tannin. Days 2 and 3 were much better with red and some dark fruit and some leather and earth notes. My guess is that this wine will improve over the next 3 years and then hit a several year peak. Obviously, I disagree with the consensus 2018 end of the drinking window for this wine. I think the window is more likely to start then.
4 people found this helpful, do you? Yes - No
/ Comment
Very bright, intense garnet in the glass. Green olive, cherry, leather on the nose. Acidic and mildly tannic on the palate with sour cherry, tobacco, smoke, and leather on the palate. To me, this seemed a little more intense and concentrated than many other Chiantis in the same range. Also presents some interesting leather/tobacco notes.
I left the wine in the bottle uncorked overnight. The vegetal (olive brine) notes disappeared. Cherry on the nose with some anise and faint mint. Cherry, leather, smoke, and faint mint on the palate. Very enjoyable. (89-90pts)
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No
/ Comment
Popped and poured. Nose of dark cherries, leather, earth,and mint(?). On the palate denser than past Monsantos with bright cherry, and dirt flavors. Nice grip on the finish with sufficient acids to balance. This is going to need some more time. Check back in after two years. No score for now. Gut impression 89-91.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No
/ Comment
Classic Monsanto on the nose. Exotic spices, anis, licorice and the unprecedented level of menthol unlike any other CCR i can recall. Palate is tight as a clam. Acid and tannins in the forefront covering a barely noticeable level of sour cherry, sois bois and currant on the palate. Coarse bone dry tannins sends you packing. There is stuffin and structure here to last and evolve very long time, will be interesting to follow my case and see how it develops. Good upside for a couple points more down the road.
5 people found this helpful, do you? Yes - No
/ Comment
Medium ruby red, clear rim. Nose is fruity, red fruit, plus damp forest, smoke and green pepper. Medium bodied. Fairly well balanced with dry tannins prominent. The flavors echo the nose.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No
/ Comment
It was a little thin at first, but after about 45 minutes it opened up quite nice. It has a nice nose, flavors of cherry and a medium finish. Its a really good Chianti.
2 people found this helpful, do you? Yes - No
/ Comment
The strangest tasting flawed bottle I have ever had. A group of 18 people tasted this and many were concerned that the wine wasn't flawed, that in fact it just tasted that bad. I described the flavor as a railroad tie soaked in medicine. To be honest, I am not sure what could have gone wrong with this one to create the funky flavor this had. Nothing I found amongst the chemical and biological taints rosters led to what we tasted in this one. Whatever it was, it was really bad. Being unable to imagine that the wine would actually taste this way by intentions, I'm calling it flawed.
Popped and poured. A bit thin and light compared to the 2009. High toned cherry fruit and herbs; tart and short. Hopefully this will flesh out on day 2. UPDATE: A bit better on day two, but still a bit lean.
1 person found this helpful, do you? Yes - No
/ Comment
Heavy fruit upon opening. Tasted more cherry cough syrup than a chianti. However, settled down over the next few hours to become more approachable. Strange because I really enjoyed past vintages. Will need to try again.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No
/ Comment
This was our second attempt at this wine. It was worse this time than I remembered. Not a pleasant nose and even worse flavor. Not much depth or structure with disjointed flavors. I would not recommend this wine. There are far too many other Chiantis worthy at this $21 price point.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No
/ Comment
Upon opening, this was tart and green and not very pleasant, not up to expectations from experience with prior vintages or from reviews on this vintage.
Recorked, then somewhat more enjoyable after two days on the counter, so the score reflects that improvement.
I wouldn't recommend buying this vintage, but if you bought some, like I did, I'd hold for a year and maybe two (I'm an optimist).
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No
/ Comment
Didn't do it for me. Cherries and herbs - almost thought there was some Syrah here.. What didn't appeal to me was the greeness and alcohol that I picked up. Not the best setting to taste this so maybe I need to give it another try.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No
/ Comment
Lighter color, evolved nose, with notes of mint, cedar, and butter. Somewhat tannic and evolved in mouth. Okay red but there is not much pleasure left and its to be on the way down. This was a merchants tasting and he got a great deal on this wine, no wonder.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No
/ Comment
ABV14; a bit of funk blows off quickly; mix of tart cherry liqueur and earth; nice combo of medium body with dense fruit; some new world elements, but good acidity keeps this bright; a bit of wood and heat are in the background; young, with upside.
1 person found this helpful, do you? Yes - No
/ Comment
Sampled over four nights. Great example of the stellar 2010 vintage. Dueling elements of leather and flowers on the nose. Starts with bold black cherry on the palate, resolving to meaty roasted tomatoes. Tannins are round but also slightly racy. Smooth finish with subtle acidity. Night four brought out the best in this beauty. It will get even better in the next few years.
1 person found this helpful, do you? Yes - No
/ Comment
This is much different from the first bottle I drank. No sulfur, but this bottle is woody, tart, and very tannic. Dry cherry and not a whole lot of depth. This bottle was from the 2nd offering I purchased, a different lot, and obviously a different bottling.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No
/ Comment
Medium ruby, translucent, fast moving narrow legs. Medium-medium(+) aromas of barnyard, mocha, flintl and minor red fruit notes. Dry, medium(+) acidity, medium(-) sinewy tannin, medium(+) alcohol and medium body. Medium flavors of red cherries, red berries, leather, cocoa. Balanced, nervous texture. Good length with pronounced bitter-sweet finish with tart acidity. Classic style. Dinner wine. Needs decanting. Ding it on the nose.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No
/ Comment
Good chianti but nowhere near great. Certainly nowhere near the 92s I read about. Tannic with a rough texture to it. Needs several years. Disappointed. Great looking label.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No
/ Comment
Straightforward Chianti. Pleasant note of semi-tart cherries, good acidity to go with pasta Bolognese, short to medium finish. Solid, but not overly impressive chianti.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No
/ Comment
Barnyard or brett on the nose, but in a good way. Additionally, sour cherry and cinnamon. Palate I'm hit with green vegetables. M+ Acidity, M Alcohol, M complexity. Finish is a bit dry, medium, slight tannic. Although the greenness is slight, It's my least favorite characteristic. The wine looks purple colored. The legs are medium. There is no sediment in the bottle. It smells like mushroom, cherry, pomegranate, cranberry, sandalwood, cinnamon, clove, rose, violet, green olive and bell pepper.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No
/ Comment
As reported by other tasters, this is definitely better with a long decant and very hearty food. At the price it sells for I will buy a few more bottles to cellar for a couple of years more. It will be interesting to see how it ages.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No
/ Comment
Old World, Old School Chianti. A bit more funk than I like, the right amount of earthiness, a bit less fruit than I would like. Some will like more than I. Yearns for food. This will last 5 years easy..
Tastes like cherry cola, with tannin. Loads of fruit and good depth on the palate. Young with a snappy bitter edge and a hint of tar. Balanced with nice complexity, would be terrific with hearty fare like osso buco. This will age, but probably best consumed young, by 2022.
Monsanto is usually a fairly inconsistent producer, which is part of the reason their wines don't sell for too much; however, the 2010 vintage, especially at $13, is probably one of the best QPR wines I've had all year. A very classically-styled Chianti with traditional Sangiovese cherry tartness, and that old-world dirty finish. Drink this with some hearty Lasagne alla Bolognese, or some spaghetti, and you'll feel like life IS all it's cracked up to be!
1 person found this helpful, do you? Yes - No
/ Comment
Decanted for 1 hour. As prior taster noted this really needs air or you will be disappointed. Paired with grilled chicken. Cherry, sour cherry, brambles on the nose. On palate, medium body, red fruit profile with high acidity & medium+ finish. My wife loved this. Will buy more as hard to find a wine that offers this complexity / food friendly profile for $20 or under. 91-92 range.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No
/ Comment
Wow, this really needs decanting or aging prior to drinking. As a PnP, it smells of fertilizer, tastes acidic, thin. After a couple hours of decanting it tastes and smells like a minerally tapenade, in a good way. Some licorice, fine tannins, and continues to evolve. Very complex for the price point.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No
/ Comment
Glass-decanted for only 15 minutes prior to pairing with rigatoni ragu with spicy Italian sausage. Bright ruby in the glass with thinning edges, the nose is of bing cherry, raspberry, red alpine currant, black currant, licorice, tar and earth. Excellent acidity, concentration and intensity through the mid-palate, with a reasonably long, violet-tinged finish. Just about through our second case, and awaiting receipt of our 3rd case, so we love this workhorse Chianti!
1 person found this helpful, do you? Yes - No
/ Comment
Nice classic. Smooth cherries on the nose. Acidity is pronounced and cries for food. Not very complex and not particularly weighty on the palate or lingering on the finish, but solid and straightforward Chianti. Went really well with pesto on pasta. A bargain at $20.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No
/ Comment
I'm torn about this wine. It's a lovely and subtle Chianti today, bright red fruits and acid enough to accompany many different meals - in that sense it's a truly versatile wine - but I do suspect that it has a lot more to give as it evolves. It is a light-to-medium bodied wine, very satisfying, and it feels less alcoholic than the 14% listed on the label. So I'm giving it an 89 for what it is today, but i do suspect some subtle charm to emerge to push it into a higher category.
3 people found this helpful, do you? Yes - No
/ Comment
Opened onight with an Italian sausage and fennel pasta. Paired well but may be a little young. Will buy a few bottles and lay them down for 4-5 years. S/B a 90+ wine buy then.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No
/ Comment
Sharp barnyard and sulfur at first, this wine needs some air time to soften and blow off the sulfur. Then, spicy and dark fruit palate, with a touch of leather and barnyard. Very concentrated, this should last a while.
1 person found this helpful, do you? Yes - No
/ Comment
A little darker, earlier than I expected. I would not call it bright or acidic. Definitely better with dinner/food than before. Ok enough, but not a definite rebuy.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No
/ Comment
Typical Chianti on the nose with lots of cherries. Unfortunately also quite a significant clove influence. In the mouth this is decent but with rather low acidity and overbearing oakiness. Rustic.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No
/ Comment
A nose of some dark fruit, dark garnet in color. A medium to almost full bodied Chianti, with cherry, raspberry, some coffee and spice on finish. www.winelx.com
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No
/ Comment
Consumed over days. PnP, PnV and drank over 3 hours on 1st night. Very nice profile of red cherry, herbs, earth & licorice, and later a bit of minerality emerged and continued to build with more air. Fine youthful tannins in early stages of integrating with abundance of acidity and a clean lingering finish. Consistent on 2nd day.
1 person found this helpful, do you? Yes - No
/ Comment
I was a little unsure when first opened, but this bottle got better and better as we gave it some time...give it a 2 hour decant and you'll be happy!! Wine gets deeper, more complex, with more flavor including dark cherry, coffee hints, and a peppery finish....it coats the mouth and hangs on for a good 15 - 20 seconds...nice Chianti Classico!
1 person found this helpful, do you? Yes - No
/ Comment
The most feminine and elegant Chianti I have ever had so far. I thought the fruit was a little thin with dominate flavors of cherry and spice. A fresh/pure, mineral laden wine but I found myself wanting a bit more. Perhaps I should revisit this wine.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No
/ Comment
Color: medium/light ruby -> light ruby rim. Took about 90+ minutes to unwind and then the bouquet developed delicious elements of earth, cherries, anisette and iron. Palate showed a little lighter than nose; more tart and not nearly as intense as I had hoped, but still quite nice nonetheless. Medium length finish; will probably age well and with the acids present, will undoubtedly always be a good food wine.
2 people found this helpful, do you? Yes - No
/ Comment
Good wine. Started out tannic but slowly opened up. This is usually a vg wine from year to year. This bottle lacked oomph but we enjoyed it. Good price for the wine. Let's see how the next bottle drinks. There may be some bottle variation for this wine based on other reviews. Stay tuned.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No
/ Comment
A decant of any kind helps this wine a lot. This 2010 vintage of this very solid CCR is more broad, fruitier and with lower acidity than either '06 or '07 vintages. The palate features darker cherry and black fruits, without the leather and licorice of those prior vintages, and is medium-bodied. This continues to be an excellent pizza/pasta wine. Onto to our second case of this!
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No
/ Comment
The color was on the light side and had a distinct tawny hue. The aromatics were vague, little fruit, slight spice and a hint of tar. Nice in the mouth with a decent structure and good acid. Spice in the finish. Overall drinkable and decent with the food but prematurely aged, this was in a restaurant and they had just received the case.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No
/ Comment
Took about 5 hours in the decanter before this really began to unfurl. Tart cherry, soil, liquorice, something slightly ferrous on the nose. On the palate, darker red fruits, earthy/soil elements that got more deliciously persistent with air, and some salinity and sweet grainy tannins on the finish. Very approachable and served as a good accompaniment to our vegetarian tapas. I rarely make case purchases (so much wine, so little time) but will definitely do so with this one.
1 person found this helpful, do you? Yes - No
/ Comment
Double decanted one hour before pairing with a spicy pizza and Caesar salad. A medium ruby in the glass, the timid nose features cherry, red alpine currant, licorice and a touch of wood spice. Medium+ intensity and concentration and an excellent match for our meal. We really love these Castello di Monsanto CCRs!
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No
/ Comment
Sweet cherry and plum up front and you get some underbrush and forest floor in the mid palate. Finish lasts about 30 seconds on the palate. Still very young and should drink well for 5-10 years. At the price of $19-22 it's a great QPR.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No
/ Comment
The nose showed cherry with hints of stem, animal musk and a bright herbal note, which provided lift. On the palate, I found vibrant red fruits, spice, old wood tones and hints of soil. The finish showed hints of structure with juicy red fruits.
1 person found this helpful, do you? Yes - No
/ Comment
Nose of chocolate, plum, and olive. Dry, olive, and briny taste. Cherry and vanilla taste too. Good Chianti for the price. My wife liked it more and more; she was not a big fan at first. I would like to try this with Banfi. Good buy, but is Banfi better for the price?
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No
/ Comment
Started off tannic and spicy, this medium bodied chianti settled down quickly and with food was balanced and tasty, definitely a wine to drink with a meal.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No
/ Comment
This is obviously very young. Still, a wonderful and Classic expression of Chianti Classico. More elegant and refined than the 09 which has more body and a richer fruit. Solid buy.
1 person found this helpful, do you? Yes - No
/ Comment
Visit to Castello di Monsanto (Castello di Monsanto, Chianti, Tuscany): This wine has only been very recently released. I thought it was a good showing from a solid, but unpsectacular vintage. The nose showed a touch of wood and some fresh herb amongst rather intense aromas od black cherries, blackberries, and then lighter scents of dried mushrooms, earth and a crack of black pepper. Wonderful aromatics - I really liked that. Unsurprisingly, the palate was rather less opened for business. From the attack, it showed slightly chewy tannins and gobs of juicy acidity, quite a decent but unimposing structure. It was a bit thinner on the fruit than the nose suggested, but showed really pleasant if rather unauthoritative flavours of black cherries and berries, with another seasoning of pepper and some woody herbs. Very yummy- I liked this. This may not the longest aging Chianti Riserva, but it was superbly fresh and nicely refined, and should drink very nicely in the medium term. No harm done cracking a young bottle open now, but I would really give it at least 4-5 years' bottle age. It should hit a nice drinking window shortly after that and go on aging gracefully towards its first decade and a little beyond.
7 people found this helpful, do you? Yes - No
/ Comment
12/23/2023 - PaulusLoZebra Likes this wine: 94 Points
This Monsanto CCR (LR 14913) is still very young, and is not yet in its ideal drinking window, which is probably 2025-2037. Decanted one hour before dinner, this needs at least two and was just becoming a much better wine as dinner ended. It has aromatic complexity, great acidity, firm tannins, red and dark fruits, black pepper and dark spices, and a long bittersweet finish. Excellent QPR.
2 people found this helpful, do you? Yes - No / Comment
12/21/2023 - dzapol Likes this wine: 89 Points
Perfect bottle from gaschief’s cellar. A bit sour to start, tight. Opened up and was enjoyable with Octopus @ Che FICO San Francisco. opened up despite it’s age into an experience of tannins and bitez
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
6/29/2023 - Booger’s Wine Likes this wine: 92 Points
Had with spaghetti and Caesar salad. This wine is in a nice place. Delicious and well balanced. Not sure how much more life before it starts to slide. Drink up now!
1 person found this helpful, do you? Yes - No / Comment
2/11/2023 - jayrod wrote: 92 Points
A truly beautiful bottle of chianti. I feel as though this has another five years left and will wait on my next two bottles.
This bottle had very good fruit up front with well integrated tannins but it was a touch hot. I served it with lamb and a dill sauce.
2 people found this helpful, do you? Yes - No / Comment
1/10/2023 - dsimmons Likes this wine: 90 Points
Very nice with spaghetti. Nice acid fruit balance. Has gained some elegance. Drink or hold.
1 person found this helpful, do you? Yes - No / Comment
9/11/2022 - PaulusLoZebra Likes this wine: 92 Points
Another very good bottle of LR14913, delicious over three nights, with subtle differences each night. See my detailed notes from June. Excellent QPR.
1 person found this helpful, do you? Yes - No / Comment
9/1/2022 - dsimmons Likes this wine: 89 Points
Drank with ravioli, Nice Chianti Classico. Drink or hold.
2 people found this helpful, do you? Yes - No / Comment
6/3/2022 - PaulusLoZebra Likes this wine: 92 Points
This (LR14913) is drinking very well right now and should be very good for another 6-10 years. Double decanted and served 30 minutes later, it's a smooth, elegant and juicy Sangiovese with a great acid backbone, integrated tannins, and a hint of sweetness on the palate. The cherry fragrances and flavors dominate but there is a great earthiness and spiciness. Excellent QPR.
2 people found this helpful, do you? Yes - No / Comment
5/13/2022 - mydi Likes this wine: 90 Points
Drinking really well. Lovely Chianti.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
4/11/2022 - Grenik Likes this wine: 90 Points
Great QPR. Red fruit, a little floral notes. Great with food.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
12/19/2021 - Dancing with bottles Likes this wine: 90 Points
starting pretty flat and jammy, even after two hours of aeration.
A bit more structured, fresher and balanced on the second day, but all in all a rather disappointing bottle. Fruity but one dimensional and a bit floppy on the mid palate. pretty short finish.
Probably to much of the best grapes went in to the "Il Poggio". :-(
Last note: The left overs on day 4 were best. Astonishingly freshness was back, also grip and length.
It seems to have a longer life than I had expected before.
Maybe in transition, so better wait and try again in two years.
2 people found this helpful, do you? Yes - No / Comment
11/15/2021 - Alaskawino Likes this wine: 85 Points
Fading fruit with good acid. An hour decanting helps but on the downslope.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
10/7/2021 - kingkanu wrote:
Quite a light weight Tuscan pleasure, clean and fresh, plenty of cherry fruit and a little tobacco, almost fully resolved with just a few fine tannins left to give it a nice texture in the mouth, good finish too
1 person found this helpful, do you? Yes - No / Comment
8/27/2021 - Armando B wrote: 91 Points
Excellent bottle. Bob H's 6-24-21 note sums up this bottle for me. For me, last and best of bottle of the 2010 vintage of this wine.
1 person found this helpful, do you? Yes - No / Comment
6/27/2021 - Chuck835 wrote: flawed
Very disappointed the bottle was corked
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
6/24/2021 - Bob H wrote:
From a bottle opened for dinner yesterday.
Medium-bodied, with tart cherry fruit on the palate. Red fruit & menthol on the nose. Very good, and fully mature, but with no indications of any likely demise, so call it drink or hold.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
3/27/2021 - mulder wrote:
There is light sediment in the bottle after decanting. The nose smells like black cherry, mineral, forest floor, and cinnamon. The body is medium with cherry, licorice, and an earthy component coming through. The wine finishes medium with med+ acidity.
1 person found this helpful, do you? Yes - No / Comment
3/23/2021 - Tranquility Base wrote: flawed
This was corked. It had that wet newspaper taste and smell. In and around that, it was a decent Chianti Riserva. We drank it anyway, but the off-putting flavor and smell never lifted. So, a disappointment.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
3/14/2021 - winemaker Likes this wine: 91 Points
Last bottle was corked. This one isn't. Last bottle of a case. Delish. Same as previous notes.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
1/6/2021 - rama Likes this wine:
Enjoying this more now than ever. It needed some time, but is singing now.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
11/29/2020 - McMalbec Likes this wine: 90 Points
Served at cellar temperature after decant due to crumbling cork. Mature nose with black cherry and spice; smooth, dark fruit on the palate with enjoyable tannins on the finish. Paired nicely with beef lasagna on a Sunday night.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
11/21/2020 - winemaker Likes this wine: 91 Points
In a really good place. Cherry and earth. Nice bite on the finish. Went great with pasta bolognese.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
10/10/2020 - rosenst1 wrote: 91 Points
PnP. Medium red with lightening at the rim. Subtle Sangiovese nose of spice. Quite silky on the palate but with some lingering tannin which becomes more apparent with air. This went very well with a tomato and eggplant fettucine; tannins disappeared and the fruit became more dominant. Nice wine at age 10.
1 person found this helpful, do you? Yes - No / Comment
9/24/2020 - winemaker Likes this wine: 92 Points
Opened 1 hour in advance and poured. Needed some swirling to get it to wake up. It showed its best with a fresh tomato basil burrata pasta. Really played well with the garlic in the dish.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
8/31/2020 - rama Likes this wine:
Trying this again after *6 years*. Its developed some bricking, however the tannin and acid are still fairly prominent. I don't mind this in a wine, and think its tasting great now. Not sure if this will develop further, but it seems to have several years remaining before I'd worry about it turning a corner.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
8/26/2020 - marcelk wrote:
Still puckery tannins and no real tertiary flavors. Hold and hope it'll soften with age.
1 person found this helpful, do you? Yes - No / Comment
5/22/2020 - KidC wrote: 88 Points
Really enjoyed my previous bottle in 2016 and thought it would perform on that level for the coming 10 years in my proper cellar. We’ll according to this bottle that was not the case. Slightly brownish rim, nose is more mature but a quite one dimensional. Don’t see a bright future as a Chianti Classico long runner. Drink up and go home or bottle variation?
1 person found this helpful, do you? Yes - No / Comment
5/17/2020 - devraj Likes this wine: 92 Points
Red ruby with very slight bricking around the edges. Classic aromas of spicy red berries, violets, soil and hint of cigar box. Medium-bodied palate shows sweet and spicy bright red crushed fruits/plums, medium (+) acidity, no tannins, floral and wood perfumed finish. This is the best showing for this wine from my stash and it was better the second day! What a great value.
1 person found this helpful, do you? Yes - No / Comment
5/13/2020 - CWilliam wrote:
1.5 hour decant and paired with beef/turkey Spaghetti.
No medicinal notes this time - medium red color with clear meniscus. On nose, balsamic, herbs (rosemary/sage), black cherry and menthol - nice clean nose. Medium+ body, medium+ acidity, integrated tannins and long finish. Flavor profile consistent with nose ex. menthol. Has aged very well. 91-92 range. Will start drinking wines from this producer 9+ years from vintage from now on.
2 people found this helpful, do you? Yes - No / Comments (3)
3/27/2020 - iamandyc Likes this wine: 90 Points
Hadn't opened one of these in 5 years and this has definitely improved. Much more dark fruit and much better balanced than prior bottles. Acidity and tannins have receded and this was very pleasant.
1 person found this helpful, do you? Yes - No / Comment
3/2/2020 - dsimmons Likes this wine: 88 Points
Very nice Chianti drank with spaghetti. Hasn't mellowed much in ten years.. Still high acidity. Best wit food. Drink or hold.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
2/18/2020 - elyaz wrote:
Oct 2018: With lasagna. Fine. 88.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
1/26/2020 - winemaker Likes this wine: 91 Points
This bottle has a bit more earth notes than the last one.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
12/22/2019 - winemaker Likes this wine: 92 Points
Really drinking well. Outstanding wine for the money. Tart cherry, sappy, long finish.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
10/4/2019 - Quarked wrote: 90 Points
On opening, quite thin, somewhat tart with iodine notes. But with an hour or so of air, this filled out quite a bit, and by the second night this was showing leather, brambly/rustic/crunchy red fruits and a long finish, and still some iodine. Great with Italian fare.
2 people found this helpful, do you? Yes - No / Comment
6/30/2019 - Outplaying Likes this wine:
This needed a little air to open up. Compared with a 2010 Felsina CCR from a couple nights ago, this is a little leaner and tarter and it shows more minerality. It also has a tomatoe leaf accent and seems a little more rustic and angular. We drank this without food, but I think it might shine at the dinner table.
2 people found this helpful, do you? Yes - No / Comment
5/24/2019 - Alaskawino Likes this wine: 88 Points
Garnet purple with hints of brown. Dark fruit with tobacco. Palate of sour cherry, Raspberry, rasin with strong acid and tannins.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
5/19/2019 - Not647f wrote:
When it comes to wine, it's not bad to be wrong about some things. I pegged this as having reached its apex, and thought it was NOT about the secondaries but, here we are almost two years after the last bottle and this tastes like a young-ish Brunello, with leafiness, a little tobacco, lots of tart, crunchy acid. Much less round and much more complex than the last time. Still has that really clean finish that Monsanto has nailed down so well. Last of the '10s, sitting on the '13s, might need to buy some more recent vintages. Sadly, the price has slightly crept up.
3 people found this helpful, do you? Yes - No / Comment
5/13/2019 - Dancing with bottles Likes this wine: 90 Points
Balanced, rather fullbodied but with typical acidity, long and drying in the finish. Dark fruits and a hint of licorice, something between a modern and a classic style of C.C. Riserva. Bravo!
Drink now and until 2022. It won´t further improve.
1 person found this helpful, do you? Yes - No / Comment
3/14/2019 - Doblk wrote: 89 Points
Nice rosemary nose. Softened well. It’s lost some fruit. It has an astringent finishing note that puts me off but still an enjoyable wine.
1 person found this helpful, do you? Yes - No / Comment
1/17/2019 - Eags25 wrote: 88 Points
A bit disappointed. Fruit has faded and left with a brooding, rough, rustic Chianti. Nose of black cherry, balsamic vinegar, barrique, a touch of tobacco leaf and herbs. With faded fruit, balsamic notes dominate and a bit of spice on the short finish. I suspect I caught this bottle post peak and while still interesting, not as enjoyable as previous bottles.
2 people found this helpful, do you? Yes - No / Comment
1/1/2019 - VoVo Likes this wine: 91 Points
This is drinking beautifully right now. An incredible earthiness underlies the delicious dark red fruits and plum of this lovely wine with some tobacco and leather on the finish.
1 person found this helpful, do you? Yes - No / Comment
12/8/2018 - jocelyng Likes this wine: 90 Points
Very surprised how good it was compared to last bottles. This one needs time I guess.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
11/29/2018 - Eags25 wrote: 88 Points
Nose of red fruit, sweet oak, tobacco, olives, plum & menthol w/ a balsamic finish. Lots going on but not completely harmonious. Lush mouth feel, wild berry fruits, well rounded and finishes w long cherries & spices. Just misses being transcendent. But an enjoyable, well rounded wine with almost touch much going on and lacking that overall focus. Best now - 2022
1 person found this helpful, do you? Yes - No / Comment
9/23/2018 - CWilliam wrote:
Rated this 91-92 in 2014. A bottle late last year (and this bottle) had a medicinal taste that I did not like - it was not as noticeable 48 hours later (this wine should age well as it did not degrade over that time). Did not take notes. Will open remaining bottles 2020+ given other CT notes. 89-90 today (still an enjoyable bottle of wine and will buy more recent vintages but not this vintage '10) again.
2 people found this helpful, do you? Yes - No / Comments (1)
8/5/2018 - SoundinBetween wrote:
Rather simple. Surprising given the producer and vintage, did not change at all from opening and then drinking across a 4 hour window. Good acidity, nice fruit, but would have rather this been a simple younger Chianti than what it was.
1 person found this helpful, do you? Yes - No / Comment
6/22/2018 - PaulusLoZebra Likes this wine: 94 Points
I broke my own rule about drinking another bottle before 2020, and I was rewarded. The wine was poured though a gravity aerator and came alive almost immediately. Big fragrance profile of plums, black cherry and hints of violet and spice. Wonderful flavors of ripe red fruits and spice, with great structure and delineation. Sappy acidity and firm but well-integrated tannins. A long, long mineral and bitter cherry finish. A tremendous food wine. Great QPR.
On bottle variation: is it possible that they don't fully blend all the wine that goes into this label? If you look at my previous notes for this vintage, I liked each bottle, but this one has exploded on the scene and seems qualitatively different and more ready than the others.
2 people found this helpful, do you? Yes - No / Comment
6/21/2018 - oz11779 wrote: 92 Points
Inky black; cherry,tar on the nose. Lemony acid, cherries, very long. I must get to the '75 in my cellar before coming back to this.
2 people found this helpful, do you? Yes - No / Comment
6/11/2018 - shurpa14 Likes this wine: 91 Points
Very good chianti. This has matured significantly since I last tried it. It still has many years left and will likely improve. Still young but had mature qualities. For the price, a really great wine.
1 person found this helpful, do you? Yes - No / Comment
5/9/2018 - Bob H wrote:
Translucent ruby in the glass, with an effusive nose of red fruits and menthol.
Good acidity and nice persistence - not unduly complex, but deelish, and it certainly works on a Wednesday night.
1 person found this helpful, do you? Yes - No / Comment
4/15/2018 - dsimmons Likes this wine: 88 Points
This wine shows a lot of cherry and fairly high acidity. Went well with spaghetti. The wine was actually best right after opening. After being opened a few hours drying tannins became dominant.
1 person found this helpful, do you? Yes - No / Comment
4/13/2018 - devraj Likes this wine: 91 Points
Clear red ruby in color. Lifted aromas of bright red cherries, cranberries, tobacco, soil and woodsy perfume give way to a medium bodied wine showing sweet-tart crushed red cherries, savory brown spices, medium (+) acidity, hint of unresolved oak and a licorice laden finish.
3 people found this helpful, do you? Yes - No / Comment
3/31/2018 - winemaker Likes this wine: 92 Points
Drinking well. Sappy, resiny, cherry, with plenty of acidity and tannic grip. No rush on these.
1 person found this helpful, do you? Yes - No / Comment
3/22/2018 - vinodolphin Likes this wine: 90 Points
Very nice with Chicken Parm.
1 person found this helpful, do you? Yes - No / Comment
2/4/2018 - theronware wrote: 88 Points
Three years since I've opened one of these. A lot more integrated than previous bottles but a little on the simple side today. Fruit forward -- cherry and cherry pit with good acid lift but not too much more going on. I'll wait several years for my next bottle in hopes it regains some complexity as it matures.
1 person found this helpful, do you? Yes - No / Comment
1/14/2018 - Bob H wrote:
Making short ribs in a red wine braise for dinner tonight, so checking out a couple Chianti to pair up with the meat. According to CT, I haven't had this in over a year.
Translucent ruby in the glass; cherry fruit on the nose with an earthy note.
Sweet & sour cherry fruit on the palate, nice lift from the acidity, decent persistence. Very likable, and off this bottle, still has time in front of it for further nuance/development. I haven't started to dig into my 2010 Brunello yet, but if Chianti is an accurate precursor, I prefer 2010 to the 2006 vintage.
2 people found this helpful, do you? Yes - No / Comment
11/15/2017 - PaulusLoZebra Likes this wine: 93 Points
Great stuff, too young, drink from 2020 (see previous notes)
1 person found this helpful, do you? Yes - No / Comment
10/28/2017 - CWilliam wrote: 88 Points
Notes from night 2.
Didn't note color. Medicinal (almost overbearing) with cherry & tart cherry on nose. Medium+ body, good structure (medium acids & tannins) with medium+ finish. Flavor profile on palate was similar to nose. I really enjoyed this in 2014. Today not as much. 88+/- today.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
10/20/2017 - Grenik Likes this wine: 90 Points
Served with seared pork. Cherry, green pepper, plum. Good wine with food.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
10/9/2017 - guzmana Likes this wine: 91 Points
Very nice and delicate CC with good balance.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
9/23/2017 - devraj Likes this wine: 91 Points
Red ruby in color. True regional characteristics emerge from the glass -- leather, dark cherries, oak, hint of tobacco and violets. Medium bodied palate shows good balance of sweet-tart crushed cherries, leather, medium (+) acidity and finishing with a hint of licorice and oak.
2 people found this helpful, do you? Yes - No / Comment
9/9/2017 - Eags25 wrote: 92 Points
Fantastic wine, especially for the money. Nose of oak, leather, tobacco, dark berries, cherry & spice. Balanced, well integrated fruit, complex and elegant. Finish goes on for 45+ and flavors keep developing and building - w/ balsamic notes on the finish. Excellent. Drink other bottles soon.
1 person found this helpful, do you? Yes - No / Comment
7/31/2017 - devraj Likes this wine: 91 Points
Ruby in color. Ripe tobacco leaves, leather and spicy dark berries on the nose. Lovely palate shows good balance of sweet dark crushed berries and acidity, soil tones, strong note of tobacco and a spicy & perfumed finish.
1 person found this helpful, do you? Yes - No / Comment
7/10/2017 - PaulusLoZebra Likes this wine: 93 Points
This wine still has many years of evolving to do, it has not even entered its peak drinking window yet. It is still in a tight, closed phase and seems to have taken on darker color and noticeably bigger tannins since I last had it. The wine is dense, packed with fruit and spice, with a big structure from acid, minerals and those big tannins, all in balance and with refinement. It needs a lot of air, but we would all be better off leaving it in the cellar for drinking 2020-2030.
1 person found this helpful, do you? Yes - No / Comment
6/30/2017 - Champagneinhand Likes this wine: 91 Points
Solid performing CCR. Love the red fruit and these are drinking so nicely now.
2 people found this helpful, do you? Yes - No / Comment
6/23/2017 - Not647f wrote:
Still very tart, and not as round as I remembered. I don't think is going to decline anytime soon, but I also don't see a lot of complexity in the offing. I could be completely wrong about that, but there you go. I've somehow nearly wiped out a case of this, between drinking and sharing, so it's time to look for new vintages or some other Sangio. Few CCRs are as reliable for the money as this one.
1 person found this helpful, do you? Yes - No / Comments (3)
6/12/2017 - dimdic wrote: 88 Points
Popped and poured. Nose of fruity sour cherry, earth, leather and herbs. Balanced flavor of cherry. Impressed by its smooth but solid structure. Good amount of tannin in good shape. Full body. Acidity was just right, obviously lower than usual Chianti Classico. Drank very comfortably. Easy drinking and straight forward. No complexity. Perfect partner with food. Structure declined quickly over time. Drink now and no need to age further.
1 person found this helpful, do you? Yes - No / Comment
5/20/2017 - PaulusLoZebra Likes this wine: 92 Points
Tasted upon opening, it was very tight and awkward, with prominent acid and tannin. Decanted two hours before serving, it was beautifully integrated. Fragrances of dark cherry, dried herbs, mint, and flavors of sweet cherry backed by firm acids and tannins that are still slightly puckering. It has a gentle, silky and very long finish, with a mineral dryness. Peak drinking window is probably 2020-2027.
Finished the bottle 24 hours later and it had taken on a sweeter, richer flavor profile. Delicious.
2 people found this helpful, do you? Yes - No / Comment
3/20/2017 - jocelyng wrote: 88 Points
Disappointed. Good but the peppery finish is not my taste. Many better cc riserva available.
1 person found this helpful, do you? Yes - No / Comment
3/17/2017 - mydi wrote: 90 Points
One bottle for Drunken Pasta and one for us. Really a go to wine. Somewhat tart, rich, nice and smooth finish.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
3/8/2017 - GoBlue2002 Likes this wine: 90 Points
Drinking well now, and a great value for the price. Soft and easy drinking.
Cherry, other red fruits, tar, leather; yet soft. The mid-palate and body are a bit watery.
The WS note is pretty spot on. I also noted that this wine didn't have the overbearing acidity which is more common than I'd like at this price point.
1 person found this helpful, do you? Yes - No / Comment
2/16/2017 - mattdathan Likes this wine: 87 Points
Was good - nothing mind-blowing. Aging well - smooth and well integrated.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
2/12/2017 - Randoon wrote:
Drink bottle- 2/11/17
Opened bottle, it was tight. Decant next bottle 30-60 minutes.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
2/3/2017 - redz wrote: 90 Points
Much more approachable than last tasting a year ago. 2 hrs decant, smooth on palate, mild acidity
1 person found this helpful, do you? Yes - No / Comment
1/29/2017 - MBusk Likes this wine: 90 Points
Linear and elegant, this is classically styled Chianti Classico, with slightly unripe black cherry flavors at the core, and that wonderful Tuscan push-pull between sweet and bitter. The acidity is ample and the secondary flavors are well-balanced, including dried tobacco, leather, and tomato leaf. Moderately long finish.
2 people found this helpful, do you? Yes - No / Comment
1/21/2017 - mtnbarry Likes this wine: 90 Points
Great wine. Hit its peak after being open four hours!
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
1/13/2017 - ManuKey Likes this wine: 89 Points
La robe du vin est rouge cerise, tirant légèrement sur le sanguin. Le nez dévoile une note balsamiques, des épices, les cerises séchés, un jolie boisé et après aération on y perçoit également la mûre. La bouche est goûteuse, concentré, appuyé par une acidité élevé, les tanins sont présents mais fins et tout en douceur. Le vin démontre une belle profondeur en somme, avec une rétro sur la mûre suivi d'une saine amertume en finale qui s'allonge longuement en bouche. Très bien!
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
12/25/2016 - Maikranz wrote: flawed
Dusty smelling. A bit off.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
12/21/2016 - mulder Likes this wine: 92 Points
After the initial taste and smell I let this decant for about 2 hours. Nose of strawberry, cherry, balsamic, earth and dried flowers. The palate has dark berries and a mineral note with med+ acidity. Great stuff with a plate of spaghetti with meat sauce. Drank out of a Zalto Universal.
2 people found this helpful, do you? Yes - No / Comment
12/8/2016 - urban_dk Likes this wine: 92 Points
Notes consistent with last bottle, albeit with more smoked meat on the mid-palate. Still needs a long decant. This has the stuffing to last past 2020.
1 person found this helpful, do you? Yes - No / Comment
11/12/2016 - up4wine wrote: 86 Points
Used in Chianti tasting. It achieved 8th out of 8. Metallic finish and fruit a flat.
1 person found this helpful, do you? Yes - No / Comment
11/6/2016 - WineAggregate Likes this wine: 88 Points
Bone dry, woody, dried cherry, not a whole lot on the nose.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
11/6/2016 - KidC wrote: 90 Points
Agree with Wine Strategist below. This one is to hold, or perhaps start drinking from 2016. My fifth, and best bottle. Straight outta the bottle the wine reeks of cooked tomatoes and a rather nasty liver scent. After two hours in the decanter the wine transforms completely. Cherries! Cherries! More cherries! A hint of lead pencil. Extremely traditional Sangiovese. Fairly one dimensional. But what a dimension! Very well built. Solid and honest. Paired with a heavy, oak grilled, T-bone Fiorentina and spinach salad. The wine does not have any trouble at all handling the heavy meat. The nice acidity makes this a perfect food partner. Outstanding QPR. 90 - 91.
1 person found this helpful, do you? Yes - No / Comment
11/5/2016 - epiphany Likes this wine: 90 Points
No formal notes but remember it being a really good wine that I will buy again for the cellar.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
11/4/2016 - devraj Likes this wine: 91 Points
Deep ruby red in color. Nice aromas of dark berries, ripe tobacco leaves, spices and violets. Sweet and expansive in the mouth with crushed berry liqueur, medium acidity, melting tannins and a long perfumed finish. Excellent QPR.
1 person found this helpful, do you? Yes - No / Comment
10/6/2016 - Tim Heaton Likes this wine:
Open this now as a PnP, and you will hate it. But, if you can give it two hours in wide-bottom decanter and serve at cellar temp AND have it with food, you'll at least like it. That said, this has a ton of buried, tightly wound raw material, all of it quite good. At first, it's reduced, then it moves to acres and acres of autumn leaves and mushroom fields. Undergrowth galore for the first hour, then notes of leather and dry soil. By the two hour mark, after quite a bit of active swirling, the fruits are there, even if just a little, and damn, they're pretty. The body is medium at most, though I feel it will fill out with another 5-6 years. This is almost severe, but, it has the structure that will reward if you give it at least 5 more years and a lot of air. Bury this in the cellar, maybe give it to your heirs, because this needs time. HOLD. 14,0% abv. recommended
PnP, served non-blind (yes, I knew it was too young)
https://italianwine.blog/
8 people found this helpful, do you? Yes - No / Comment
9/24/2016 - DSmol Likes this wine: 91 Points
Medium body; some complexity; delicious. Opening up after an hour decant. Cherry, forest floor, integrated tannins, and a nice finish. The wine seems a little thin on the front of the palate, but then builds nicely, with a full mouth feel on the swallow. I am tasting it without food, but the wine would be even better with food. I wish I had more.
1 person found this helpful, do you? Yes - No / Comment
9/19/2016 - bconly Likes this wine: 88 Points
Okay with pizza but nothing special. Slight bottle variation but none (of 4 tasted so far) have been flawed.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
8/22/2016 - rosenst1 wrote: 89 Points
PnP. Medium red. Rather closed on the nose. More on the red fruit side of the spectrum. Medium light on the palate - quite tight on the finish. Will see how it does with more air. This does open up and show more texture on the palate over time; should improve over the next couple of years but not a great 2010.
1 person found this helpful, do you? Yes - No / Comment
8/14/2016 - Falco203 wrote: 90 Points
Drank with friends on its own. Would love to drink with food. Maybe a meat lovers pizza for my second bottle. I believe more cellar time will make t better. I will buy more
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
6/19/2016 - mattias_hansen@hotmail.com Likes this wine: 90 Points
Firstly, i dont believe for a second this wine has reached its peak plateau. Monsanto lives for a long time! I still think this is a primary expression, just beginning, ever so sligtly to peel off the layers of harsh acidity present on the palate. The Nose is where the business is, still, with lovely tobacco, licorice, menthol red fruit and earthy tones. It has budged, a bit since my last tasting, but i am in no hurry to begin drinking my remaining bottles. I would rather drink the 01,04, 07,or even 09 (which is still primary as well) at the moment.
3 people found this helpful, do you? Yes - No / Comment
6/18/2016 - sleepyhaus wrote:
My go-to pizza wine. Monsanto varies a bit with the vintage but in my experience never disappoints. There are notes here about the wine being too thin or being too dense, but I tend to find it just right in that it has enough leather, earth and acid to complement the food, but enough fruit to drink on its own after the food is gone. Ages well, and incredibly fairly priced. This and Vajra's nebbiolo rosso are, for my money, a sure thing and great value.
5 people found this helpful, do you? Yes - No / Comment
6/17/2016 - Bob H wrote:
Translucent ruby in the glass; cool red fruits on the otherwise reticent nose.
Medium-bodied, with primarily red fruits - decent persistence and reasonable acidity. I have been underwhelmed with this wine on two previous occasions, and tonight it's still somewhat straightforward, but the wine's flavors are clean & focused and this is an acceptable pizza wine.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
6/14/2016 - Robert Pavlovich wrote:
Has opened some over the last two years, still showing a nice earthiness, good acid, though maybe a little thin on fruit. It should age well over the next few years, best with medium to rich food.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
5/29/2016 - 22jefski Likes this wine: 90 Points
awkward nose in the beginning - needs time to open. Very structured, classical Chianti
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
5/29/2016 - elledeca wrote:
Very transparent crimson
Nose closed at first with rusty nails, opens on plum, cherry, herbs and tobacco
Quite bitter, fruit and lots of cedar. Very classic, wait 5 years
1 person found this helpful, do you? Yes - No / Comment
5/15/2016 - Not647f wrote:
I'm not getting the "thin" sense at all on my second bottle. If anything, a little rounder and weightier than my usual dish of Chianti. After a few days drinking wine chosen for me, this was my go-to upon arriving home. While this may have some years to go, I think it's about where it's going to be, given the lower acidity than the '08. Could be wrong, the fruit here is strong and well developed, but I don't think this is going to be fundamentally about the secondaries, so I just don't see a lot of upside in waiting. I'll hold off for six months before opening another and it I see any changes, I'll re-evaluate; otherwise, time to find another vintage of this reliable overperformer.
2 people found this helpful, do you? Yes - No / Comment
5/9/2016 - Kris G wrote: 86 Points
three things to describe this wine : red fruits, well marked acidity and rather thin, it almost reminded me of a Bourgogne wine, not the style of Sangiovese I prefer
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
4/16/2016 - wabi47 Likes this wine: 90 Points
Nice fruit, structure and acidity; denser than I recall but still with Sangiovese typicity
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
4/10/2016 - cubswinws Does not like this wine: 85 Points
Like water with a hint of grape flavoring. Don't let the lovely label fool you!
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comments (2)
4/1/2016 - lelandinmichigan Likes this wine: 92 Points
Cherry red color
Fresh and clean aromas of crushed rock and deep rich fruit.
Mineral laden fruit flavored with an angular structure. Delicious now. Appears to have many good years ahead. Tasting note over three days, still going strong on third day.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
3/22/2016 - Not647f wrote:
Glad I left this one to rest for a while. This is rounder and fleshier than the '08 was, but with lots of good Sangio acid, nice cherry both sour and sweet, a nice marriage of oak as well. Monsanto always smells very clean to me, without funk, but with a little rose aroma, and this fits that as well. Glad I have more, and they seem ready to drink.
1 person found this helpful, do you? Yes - No / Comment
3/11/2016 - Bob H wrote:
Translucent ruby in the glass (a shade or two darker than the 2012 Produttori); red fruits and sotto bosco on the nose.
More "together" on the palate right now than the Produttori, but at this point not hinting at favorable future developments either. Certainly likable, but given the vintage and the producer, not overly memorable.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
3/9/2016 - WineAggregate Likes this wine: 90 Points
One of the better bottles of this I've had (they seem to vary), good expression of Sangiovese, earthy but with nice herbal elegance.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
2/10/2016 - skinut Likes this wine: 89 Points
A bargain (on sale), everyday chianti. Last bottle. Bought based on reviews, not sure wht all the hype was. Solid, weekday chianti to be consumed with food. Went great with onion laden gyros.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
2/3/2016 - thebonnydooner wrote: 87 Points
Pretty muted at first, but with some air developed a nice cheesy, funk. Sweet cherry with lots of acidity and a dry but not hard finish.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
1/21/2016 - WineAggregate wrote: 87 Points
Burnt match aromas at first, which dissipated quickly. Tannic and drying on the palate, with hard sour cherry and leather. Definitely a food wine.
1 person found this helpful, do you? Yes - No / Comment
1/19/2016 - shleepy Likes this wine: 88 Points
Sour cherry, sourbread/yeast in the smell. Light tannins, lots of acidity. Fruity and a little herbal/perfumy. Good with food.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
1/6/2016 - dfeiner wrote: 92 Points
Pop and pour. Nose is slightly funky in a good way. Some bright cherry and mineral notes come through as well. Medium mouth feel, perhaps a bit denser than typical chianti (good). Slightly dusty flavor also cherry and maybe a bit of stewed prune or compote of some sort. This is really good.
2 people found this helpful, do you? Yes - No / Comment
12/27/2015 - BrunelloBob wrote: 87 Points
Last bottle was better. Too muchmineral and leather, not enough dried cherry.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
12/3/2015 - Atwellian wrote: 89 Points
Clear medium ruby. Dusty nose.Sour cherry, slate, with a bit of funk. Delicate, fine tannins. Medium finish. Very tasty.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
11/22/2015 - hoservin wrote: 89 Points
Aerated with a Vinturi and decanted for one hour. Cherry, earth, espresso, tobacco and spice. Leads to a medium length finish. Medium bodied. Food friendly. A very good QPR.
1 person found this helpful, do you? Yes - No / Comment
11/17/2015 - iamandyc wrote: 89 Points
Fruit deepens and helps manage the high acidity with air. Really good food wine. Deep dark fruits. Long finish that can border on sour every once in a while.
1 person found this helpful, do you? Yes - No / Comment
11/15/2015 - galaxie500 Likes this wine: 90 Points
Agree with Brian of the vine below; the fruit surged into the air at the pop. Left it rest ~90 mins and took the first sip with lots of fruit up front, good acid, medium body. A very well made Chianti with +++QPR. The label seems almost USA Today, but the wine rewards. Glad to have three more and look forward to them, but expect them to be consumed in the next 12 months or so.
3 people found this helpful, do you? Yes - No / Comment
11/6/2015 - corkscrews Likes this wine: 88 Points
Similar to last note, good food wine. www.winelx.com
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
11/1/2015 - redz wrote: 88 Points
never really opened up in 4 hrs. give more time.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
10/27/2015 - brianofthevine wrote: 90 Points
Nice red cherry and strawberry fruit up front with some earth, licorice, and smoke. Good acidity throughout and decent finish. Nice food wine, seemed to get better over the evening.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
10/27/2015 - skinut Likes this wine: 89 Points
Wonderful with spicy italian sausage meat sauce over bow tie pasta. Deep cherry nose and perfect acidity to cut the sausage fat and complement the tomato sauce. Not overly complex and medium short finish drops some of the points, but a bargain at the price for a quality riserva.
1 person found this helpful, do you? Yes - No / Comment
10/25/2015 - Bberardini wrote: 91 Points
Aromatic / cherries
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
10/9/2015 - Bradetti wrote: flawed
Unfortunately corky!
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
10/3/2015 - sleepyhaus wrote:
I like this more than some of the previous commenters, but that makes sense, as this wine needs some time to shine. Really good now, perfect with homemade sausage and leek pizza. This kept improving over several hours. Monsanto is our perennial favorite Italian for quality, value, and versatility (some Piedmont wines are equals though). A textbook example of a widely available, inexpensive wine that is excellent. Drink or hold for up to a decade, maybe more.
1 person found this helpful, do you? Yes - No / Comment
10/2/2015 - Bob H wrote:
Translucent ruby in the glass; not a lot on the nose right now for this popped & poured wine.
Very smooth on the palate - almost no tannic presence at all. Likable enough, but less than stellar.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comments (1)
9/20/2015 - hoservin wrote: 89 Points
Aerated with a Vinturi and decanted one hour. Aromas of cherry, leather, spice and smoke. Cherry, earth, mineral and fine tannins on the mid-palate. Leads to a medium length, soft, dry finish. Medium bodied with good mineral character. A very good QPR and food friendly wine. Steady performer, year over year. Paired with spinach ravioli, turkey sausage and marinara sauce.
1 person found this helpful, do you? Yes - No / Comment
9/7/2015 - shorediver Likes this wine: 90 Points
decanted for two hours.. Leathery nose, nice spicy fruit upfront. Smooth tannins with a balanced finish. Glad I have six more!
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
8/31/2015 - whudock Likes this wine: 89 Points
solid cherry fruit and a bit of tannic backbone but otherwise too one dimensional. Good with food, but in no way memorable.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
8/29/2015 - mattdathan Likes this wine: 89 Points
So very drinkable, but needs food.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
8/23/2015 - Champagneinhand Likes this wine: 92 Points
same as the first bottle. Really delicious stuff from 2010. Just give it the air it needs. We will see if it has legs for aging as I will hold one bottle for at least 10 years. Very pleasant food friendly wine. Great structure.
2 people found this helpful, do you? Yes - No / Comment
8/23/2015 - Champagneinhand wrote: 92 Points
wow with given airtime of 2 hours passively, this opened up nicely after a basic Bourgogne PN. This was full of fruit, tannin and spices that made our Italian fare really jumped to life. The Pinot Noir was a very good food wine and I have had several vintages of this wine but the 2010 is really good. I held back me bottle to age just like 2007. We will revisit after 10+ years post vintage.
2 people found this helpful, do you? Yes - No / Comment
8/16/2015 - franm Likes this wine: 87 Points
cheers - nice wine, curious what it would be like in 5 more years, but not buying any more....
1 person found this helpful, do you? Yes - No / Comment
7/18/2015 - TWDummy Likes this wine: 90 Points
Appearance: Medium ruby with an orange tinge on the outer rim. On the nose, juniper, tree bark, anise, iron and earth. On the palate - light to medium bodied with flavors of bright, red fruits, pine, iron. Firm but pleasing chalky tannins. This is a formidable earthy, mineral bomb of a Chianti. It's also very much a food wine. Don't open this just because you want to drink a red. Open it because you need a bottle of red with the food you are preparing. We paired this with a bbq'd tri tip, oven fries and salad. Great summer meal with a perfect Chianti.
4 people found this helpful, do you? Yes - No / Comment
7/16/2015 - ex-sommelier wrote:
Surprised at the notes below, This was undrinkable for 24hrs. After a double decant it still smelled awful, no fruit, but no evidence of cork, just harsh like tree bark and rubber. Next day it tasted much more like a solid chianti, though still tight. If you have any of these, forget about them for a good while, or if you open it and it seems no good, cork it and try it again the next day.
Surprising for such a low-priced chianti, but its one for the long-term.
1 person found this helpful, do you? Yes - No / Comment
7/8/2015 - Bob in NC Likes this wine: 89 Points
We are far from experts on Chianti Classico wines, but this seemed to be a solid tasty wine for the money. We wanted a sangiovese based wine to go with our red pasta sauce and this worked perfectly. Wish we gave it a decant before serving as it improved significantly over an hour.
3 people found this helpful, do you? Yes - No / Comments (4)
7/1/2015 - Eags25 wrote: 90 Points
No notes other than really enjoyed it and would never have decided on Chianti in a blind tasting.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
5/28/2015 - dke Likes this wine: 89 Points
Tasty as usual.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
4/26/2015 - Armando B wrote: 87 Points
The most accurate rating I can give this wine is incomplete. Day 1 was really just high acid and tannin. Days 2 and 3 were much better with red and some dark fruit and some leather and earth notes. My guess is that this wine will improve over the next 3 years and then hit a several year peak. Obviously, I disagree with the consensus 2018 end of the drinking window for this wine. I think the window is more likely to start then.
4 people found this helpful, do you? Yes - No / Comment
4/14/2015 - DBunk Likes this wine: 89 Points
Food wine. Sausage and peppers. Classic CC Sangiovese. Little mushroom and wood funk that took 45m in decanter to blow off. Singing and zinging now.
1 person found this helpful, do you? Yes - No / Comment
4/10/2015 - chrisanderika Does not like this wine:
Our second bad experience with Monsanto. Very green. Ended up not finishing the bottle.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
3/12/2015 - Col.Harding wrote: 91 Points
very tasty - dark red fruits, balanced tannins
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
2/28/2015 - texanoblues Likes this wine: 89 Points
Very bright, intense garnet in the glass. Green olive, cherry, leather on the nose. Acidic and mildly tannic on the palate with sour cherry, tobacco, smoke, and leather on the palate. To me, this seemed a little more intense and concentrated than many other Chiantis in the same range. Also presents some interesting leather/tobacco notes.
I left the wine in the bottle uncorked overnight. The vegetal (olive brine) notes disappeared. Cherry on the nose with some anise and faint mint. Cherry, leather, smoke, and faint mint on the palate. Very enjoyable. (89-90pts)
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
2/27/2015 - GalvezGuy Likes this wine:
Popped and poured. Nose of dark cherries, leather, earth,and mint(?). On the palate denser than past Monsantos with bright cherry, and dirt flavors. Nice grip on the finish with sufficient acids to balance. This is going to need some more time. Check back in after two years. No score for now. Gut impression 89-91.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
2/21/2015 - ms.dionysos wrote:
Typischer Chianti. Nicht aufgeplustert. Geschmack nach dunklen Beeren und Veilchenaromatik
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
2/12/2015 - mattias_hansen@hotmail.com Likes this wine: 90 Points
Classic Monsanto on the nose. Exotic spices, anis, licorice and the unprecedented level of menthol unlike any other CCR i can recall. Palate is tight as a clam. Acid and tannins in the forefront covering a barely noticeable level of sour cherry, sois bois and currant on the palate. Coarse bone dry tannins sends you packing. There is stuffin and structure here to last and evolve very long time, will be interesting to follow my case and see how it develops. Good upside for a couple points more down the road.
5 people found this helpful, do you? Yes - No / Comment
1/24/2015 - j30 wrote: 87 Points
Cherries and slightly herbal. Tart in the mouth, lean and quite tannic.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
1/15/2015 - MarkusBig Likes this wine: 88 Points
Medium ruby red, clear rim. Nose is fruity, red fruit, plus damp forest, smoke and green pepper. Medium bodied. Fairly well balanced with dry tannins prominent. The flavors echo the nose.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
1/14/2015 - mpsocal Likes this wine: 89 Points
It was a little thin at first, but after about 45 minutes it opened up quite nice. It has a nice nose, flavors of cherry and a medium finish. Its a really good Chianti.
2 people found this helpful, do you? Yes - No / Comment
1/13/2015 - cristian_m wrote: flawed
The strangest tasting flawed bottle I have ever had. A group of 18 people tasted this and many were concerned that the wine wasn't flawed, that in fact it just tasted that bad. I described the flavor as a railroad tie soaked in medicine. To be honest, I am not sure what could have gone wrong with this one to create the funky flavor this had. Nothing I found amongst the chemical and biological taints rosters led to what we tasted in this one. Whatever it was, it was really bad. Being unable to imagine that the wine would actually taste this way by intentions, I'm calling it flawed.
1 person found this helpful, do you? Yes - No / Comments (1)
1/6/2015 - wabi47 Likes this wine: 89 Points
Nice cherry--sweet on the front and tart on the finish; some tannin and tobacco; good acidity and fruit density
1 person found this helpful, do you? Yes - No / Comment
1/6/2015 - BklynNeophyte wrote: 91 Points
Terrific, balanced, dark cherry.
1 person found this helpful, do you? Yes - No / Comment
1/4/2015 - mdefreitas wrote: 86 Points
Popped and poured. A bit thin and light compared to the 2009. High toned cherry fruit and herbs; tart and short. Hopefully this will flesh out on day 2. UPDATE: A bit better on day two, but still a bit lean.
1 person found this helpful, do you? Yes - No / Comment
1/3/2015 - Sniffy-Sniff Likes this wine: 90 Points
Tasted over 3 days. Day-3 was best. Developed some depth and complexity. Great food wine.
1 person found this helpful, do you? Yes - No / Comment
1/2/2015 - Treibemj wrote: 86 Points
Heavy fruit upon opening. Tasted more cherry cough syrup than a chianti. However, settled down over the next few hours to become more approachable. Strange because I really enjoyed past vintages. Will need to try again.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
12/27/2014 - tim-arland wrote:
Gift from Tanya Rausch
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
12/16/2014 - dogwood Does not like this wine: 75 Points
This was our second attempt at this wine. It was worse this time than I remembered. Not a pleasant nose and even worse flavor. Not much depth or structure with disjointed flavors. I would not recommend this wine.
There are far too many other Chiantis worthy at this $21 price point.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
12/4/2014 - pgm Does not like this wine: 86 Points
Upon opening, this was tart and green and not very pleasant, not up to expectations from experience with prior vintages or from reviews on this vintage.
Recorked, then somewhat more enjoyable after two days on the counter, so the score reflects that improvement.
I wouldn't recommend buying this vintage, but if you bought some, like I did, I'd hold for a year and maybe two (I'm an optimist).
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
11/30/2014 - Kitura Does not like this wine: 85 Points
Didn't do it for me. Cherries and herbs - almost thought there was some Syrah here.. What didn't appeal to me was the greeness and alcohol that I picked up. Not the best setting to taste this so maybe I need to give it another try.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
11/25/2014 - danielbleier Likes this wine: 88 Points
consistent with notes of 11/23/2014
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
11/23/2014 - danielbleier Likes this wine: 88 Points
very nice cherry and tobacco tones...medium to light body, goes well with tomato sauce, go figure
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
11/6/2014 - Woodbridge Brad wrote: 82 Points
Lighter color, evolved nose, with notes of mint, cedar, and butter. Somewhat tannic and evolved in mouth. Okay red but there is not much pleasure left and its to be on the way down. This was a merchants tasting and he got a great deal on this wine, no wonder.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
11/5/2014 - wabi47 Likes this wine: 91 Points
ABV14; a bit of funk blows off quickly; mix of tart cherry liqueur and earth; nice combo of medium body with dense fruit; some new world elements, but good acidity keeps this bright; a bit of wood and heat are in the background; young, with upside.
1 person found this helpful, do you? Yes - No / Comment
10/27/2014 - urban_dk Likes this wine: 92 Points
Sampled over four nights. Great example of the stellar 2010 vintage. Dueling elements of leather and flowers on the nose. Starts with bold black cherry on the palate, resolving to meaty roasted tomatoes. Tannins are round but also slightly racy. Smooth finish with subtle acidity. Night four brought out the best in this beauty. It will get even better in the next few years.
1 person found this helpful, do you? Yes - No / Comment
10/21/2014 - WineAggregate wrote: 87 Points
This is much different from the first bottle I drank. No sulfur, but this bottle is woody, tart, and very tannic. Dry cherry and not a whole lot of depth. This bottle was from the 2nd offering I purchased, a different lot, and obviously a different bottling.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
10/20/2014 - Barolo Raymond wrote: 88 Points
Medium ruby, translucent, fast moving narrow legs. Medium-medium(+) aromas of barnyard, mocha, flintl and minor red fruit notes. Dry, medium(+) acidity, medium(-) sinewy tannin, medium(+) alcohol and medium body. Medium flavors of red cherries, red berries, leather, cocoa. Balanced, nervous texture. Good length with pronounced bitter-sweet finish with tart acidity. Classic style. Dinner wine. Needs decanting. Ding it on the nose.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
10/19/2014 - ABM Likes this wine: 89 Points
Very good pairing with the Lasagne. Wine is light but smooth textured and good balance. Will buy more.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
10/9/2014 - JS199 wrote: 87 Points
Good chianti but nowhere near great. Certainly nowhere near the 92s I read about. Tannic with a rough texture to it. Needs several years. Disappointed. Great looking label.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
10/7/2014 - jkvedar wrote: 88 Points
Better than average Chianti, with heavy barnyard on the nose, good fruit on the palate and medium finish.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
10/5/2014 - MikeZ Likes this wine:
Good value. Savory notes on the nose, bright fruit on the palate. Well made and very food friendly.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
9/27/2014 - skinut Likes this wine: 89 Points
Straightforward Chianti. Pleasant note of semi-tart cherries, good acidity to go with pasta Bolognese, short to medium finish. Solid, but not overly impressive chianti.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
9/20/2014 - codysak wrote: 87 Points
Barnyard or brett on the nose, but in a good way. Additionally, sour cherry and cinnamon.
Palate I'm hit with green vegetables. M+ Acidity, M Alcohol, M complexity. Finish is a bit dry, medium, slight tannic.
Although the greenness is slight, It's my least favorite characteristic.
The wine looks purple colored. The legs are medium. There is no sediment in the bottle. It smells like mushroom, cherry, pomegranate, cranberry, sandalwood, cinnamon, clove, rose, violet, green olive and bell pepper.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
9/20/2014 - bobbylion Likes this wine: 92 Points
Very good. Had it open for 6 hrs. Keeps its barnyard smell, fruit and good structure. 15 Euros - really good riserva.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
9/20/2014 - rsct2001 wrote: 87 Points
As reported by other tasters, this is definitely better with a long decant and very hearty food. At the price it sells for I will buy a few more bottles to cellar for a couple of years more. It will be interesting to see how it ages.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
9/17/2014 - BrunelloBob wrote: 89 Points
Old World, Old School Chianti. A bit more funk than I like, the right amount of earthiness, a bit less fruit than I would like. Some will like more than I. Yearns for food.
This will last 5 years easy..
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comments (1)
9/7/2014 - Lipsman wrote: 89 Points
Tastes like cherry cola, with tannin. Loads of fruit and good depth on the palate. Young with a snappy bitter edge and a hint of tar. Balanced with nice complexity, would be terrific with hearty fare like osso buco. This will age, but probably best consumed young, by 2022.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comments (2)
9/6/2014 - Reamus Likes this wine: 89 Points
Monsanto is usually a fairly inconsistent producer, which is part of the reason their wines don't sell for too much; however, the 2010 vintage, especially at $13, is probably one of the best QPR wines I've had all year. A very classically-styled Chianti with traditional Sangiovese cherry tartness, and that old-world dirty finish. Drink this with some hearty Lasagne alla Bolognese, or some spaghetti, and you'll feel like life IS all it's cracked up to be!
1 person found this helpful, do you? Yes - No / Comment
9/5/2014 - CWilliam wrote: 91 Points
Decanted for 1 hour. As prior taster noted this really needs air or you will be disappointed. Paired with grilled chicken. Cherry, sour cherry, brambles on the nose. On palate, medium body, red fruit profile with high acidity & medium+ finish. My wife loved this. Will buy more as hard to find a wine that offers this complexity / food friendly profile for $20 or under. 91-92 range.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
9/3/2014 - rama Likes this wine: 91 Points
Wow, this really needs decanting or aging prior to drinking. As a PnP, it smells of fertilizer, tastes acidic, thin. After a couple hours of decanting it tastes and smells like a minerally tapenade, in a good way. Some licorice, fine tannins, and continues to evolve. Very complex for the price point.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
8/27/2014 - wicozani Likes this wine: 90 Points
Glass-decanted for only 15 minutes prior to pairing with rigatoni ragu with spicy Italian sausage. Bright ruby in the glass with thinning edges, the nose is of bing cherry, raspberry, red alpine currant, black currant, licorice, tar and earth. Excellent acidity, concentration and intensity through the mid-palate, with a reasonably long, violet-tinged finish. Just about through our second case, and awaiting receipt of our 3rd case, so we love this workhorse Chianti!
1 person found this helpful, do you? Yes - No / Comment
7/29/2014 - skinut Likes this wine: 89 Points
Nice classic. Smooth cherries on the nose. Acidity is pronounced and cries for food. Not very complex and not particularly weighty on the palate or lingering on the finish, but solid and straightforward Chianti. Went really well with pesto on pasta. A bargain at $20.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
7/28/2014 - PaulusLoZebra Likes this wine: 89 Points
I'm torn about this wine. It's a lovely and subtle Chianti today, bright red fruits and acid enough to accompany many different meals - in that sense it's a truly versatile wine - but I do suspect that it has a lot more to give as it evolves. It is a light-to-medium bodied wine, very satisfying, and it feels less alcoholic than the 14% listed on the label. So I'm giving it an 89 for what it is today, but i do suspect some subtle charm to emerge to push it into a higher category.
3 people found this helpful, do you? Yes - No / Comment
7/26/2014 - dke Likes this wine: 89 Points
Another very good vintage, opens up nicely after several hours!
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
7/26/2014 - Scott Simos wrote: 89 Points
Opened onight with an Italian sausage and fennel pasta. Paired well but may be a little young. Will buy a few bottles and lay them down for 4-5 years. S/B a 90+ wine buy then.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
7/26/2014 - Sennma wrote: 84 Points
Made in a modern round style...doesn't really show as Chianti, could be from anywhere.
1 person found this helpful, do you? Yes - No / Comment
7/23/2014 - WineAggregate Likes this wine: 91 Points
Sharp barnyard and sulfur at first, this wine needs some air time to soften and blow off the sulfur. Then, spicy and dark fruit palate, with a touch of leather and barnyard. Very concentrated, this should last a while.
1 person found this helpful, do you? Yes - No / Comment
7/23/2014 - pickhardt wrote: 87 Points
A little darker, earlier than I expected. I would not call it bright or acidic. Definitely better with dinner/food than before. Ok enough, but not a definite rebuy.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
7/20/2014 - Jgallup wrote: 85 Points
Perfumie. Opens up, but not a favorite.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
7/5/2014 - NHLC wrote: 88 Points
Very nicely rounded everyday Chianti. Bright and sour cherries.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
7/5/2014 - Vlens Does not like this wine: 84 Points
Typical Chianti on the nose with lots of cherries. Unfortunately also quite a significant clove influence. In the mouth this is decent but with rather low acidity and overbearing oakiness. Rustic.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
6/28/2014 - strawbo Likes this wine: 87 Points
Nose with something slighly burnt, soil, sloe(?) and blackberries. On the palate dark cherries, pepper and sweetness towards finish.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
6/22/2014 - jerrysvino wrote: 89 Points
Nice wine, too bad I paid triple in a restaurant. Excellent wine at $20, average at $60.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
6/20/2014 - miadelt wrote: 87 Points
Average Chianti Classico Riserva. I was hoping for more substance in the mouth and more rustic flavors.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
6/17/2014 - corkscrews wrote: 88 Points
A nose of some dark fruit, dark garnet in color. A medium to almost full bodied Chianti, with cherry, raspberry, some coffee and spice on finish. www.winelx.com
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
6/17/2014 - Dale M wrote: 88 Points
Excellent CC: dry, sour cherries, a little saddle leather, a bit floral, and a small oak signature on the finish. If under $20, recommended.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
6/14/2014 - WST wrote: 90 Points
Yearly case purchase. Great P/Q, ages well but drinks nicely young. Sour cherry, licorice; biting cut begs for food.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
6/2/2014 - hfc wrote:
tasted on a picnic. oak and sour fruits. would leave it alone for 1-2 years if I have more.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
5/31/2014 - DRS-Inc wrote: 91 Points
Consumed over days. PnP, PnV and drank over 3 hours on 1st night. Very nice profile of red cherry, herbs, earth & licorice, and later a bit of minerality emerged and continued to build with more air. Fine youthful tannins in early stages of integrating with abundance of acidity and a clean lingering finish. Consistent on 2nd day.
1 person found this helpful, do you? Yes - No / Comment
5/24/2014 - pdadams66 Does not like this wine: 80 Points
Nasty - sulphur and thin. Hopefully this is a bad bottle.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
5/24/2014 - tuccipa Likes this wine: 89 Points
Really enjoyed this. Can still last a couple of more years. Great drink for the price.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
5/23/2014 - Bhydvm Likes this wine: 91 Points
I was a little unsure when first opened, but this bottle got better and better as we gave it some time...give it a 2 hour decant and you'll be happy!! Wine gets deeper, more complex, with more flavor including dark cherry, coffee hints, and a peppery finish....it coats the mouth and hangs on for a good 15 - 20 seconds...nice Chianti Classico!
1 person found this helpful, do you? Yes - No / Comment
5/4/2014 - Drankard wrote: 89 Points
The most feminine and elegant Chianti I have ever had so far. I thought the fruit was a little thin with dominate flavors of cherry and spice. A fresh/pure, mineral laden wine but I found myself wanting a bit more. Perhaps I should revisit this wine.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
5/2/2014 - oakland.cory wrote: flawed
Cooked & corked. Yum.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
4/27/2014 - BVal wrote: 90 Points
Color: medium/light ruby -> light ruby rim. Took about 90+ minutes to unwind and then the bouquet developed delicious elements of earth, cherries, anisette and iron. Palate showed a little lighter than nose; more tart and not nearly as intense as I had hoped, but still quite nice nonetheless. Medium length finish; will probably age well and with the acids present, will undoubtedly always be a good food wine.
2 people found this helpful, do you? Yes - No / Comment
4/20/2014 - PMHouser Likes this wine: 89 Points
opens up into a nice chianti after about an hour.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
4/11/2014 - Winehawken Does not like this wine: 82 Points
Biting acid, unbalanced. Light ruby color, a little sediment. Finish dominated by tannins. Will try in another year, but not optimistic. Avoid.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
4/9/2014 - Robert Pavlovich wrote:
Earthy, rustic, and wound up a little too tight right now, even after hours of air. Will wait a couple years before opening another.
2 people found this helpful, do you? Yes - No / Comment
4/8/2014 - mwneil wrote: 87 Points
Good wine. Started out tannic but slowly opened up. This is usually a vg wine from year to year. This bottle lacked oomph but we enjoyed it. Good price for the wine. Let's see how the next bottle drinks. There may be some bottle variation for this wine based on other reviews. Stay tuned.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
4/7/2014 - prof b wrote:
A nice Chianti drinking above its price point. Lots of fruit, good structure, good overall balance. plenty of upside.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
4/5/2014 - WineAggregate Likes this wine: 91 Points
Just got a quick taste of this, but was very impressed. Geeks at the party liked it a lot also. Shouldn't be in a hurry to drink the rest.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
4/4/2014 - wicozani Likes this wine: 89 Points
A decant of any kind helps this wine a lot. This 2010 vintage of this very solid CCR is more broad, fruitier and with lower acidity than either '06 or '07 vintages. The palate features darker cherry and black fruits, without the leather and licorice of those prior vintages, and is medium-bodied. This continues to be an excellent pizza/pasta wine. Onto to our second case of this!
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
4/4/2014 - Woodbridge Brad Likes this wine: 84 Points
The color was on the light side and had a distinct tawny hue. The aromatics were vague, little fruit, slight spice and a hint of tar. Nice in the mouth with a decent structure and good acid. Spice in the finish. Overall drinkable and decent with the food but prematurely aged, this was in a restaurant and they had just received the case.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
3/25/2014 - yeti575rider wrote:
Only had small taste of this but seemed pretty good for the price. NR.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
3/22/2014 - theronware wrote: 90 Points
Took about 5 hours in the decanter before this really began to unfurl. Tart cherry, soil, liquorice, something slightly ferrous on the nose. On the palate, darker red fruits, earthy/soil elements that got more deliciously persistent with air, and some salinity and sweet grainy tannins on the finish. Very approachable and served as a good accompaniment to our vegetarian tapas. I rarely make case purchases (so much wine, so little time) but will definitely do so with this one.
1 person found this helpful, do you? Yes - No / Comment
3/21/2014 - wicozani Likes this wine: 89 Points
Double decanted one hour before pairing with a spicy pizza and Caesar salad. A medium ruby in the glass, the timid nose features cherry, red alpine currant, licorice and a touch of wood spice. Medium+ intensity and concentration and an excellent match for our meal. We really love these Castello di Monsanto CCRs!
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
3/20/2014 - colf wrote: 90 Points
Sweet cherry and plum up front and you get some underbrush and forest floor in the mid palate. Finish lasts about 30 seconds on the palate. Still very young and should drink well for 5-10 years. At the price of $19-22 it's a great QPR.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
3/18/2014 - Eric Guido Likes this wine: 91 Points
The nose showed cherry with hints of stem, animal musk and a bright herbal note, which provided lift. On the palate, I found vibrant red fruits, spice, old wood tones and hints of soil. The finish showed hints of structure with juicy red fruits.
1 person found this helpful, do you? Yes - No / Comment
3/11/2014 - Winedog1 Likes this wine: 90 Points
Nose of chocolate, plum, and olive. Dry, olive, and briny taste. Cherry and vanilla taste too. Good Chianti for the price. My wife liked it more and more; she was not a big fan at first. I would like to try this with Banfi. Good buy, but is Banfi better for the price?
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
2/13/2014 - quaffnov Likes this wine: 88 Points
Started off tannic and spicy, this medium bodied chianti settled down quickly and with food was balanced and tasty, definitely a wine to drink with a meal.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
7/24/2013 - Brnshj22 Likes this wine: 91 Points
This is obviously very young. Still, a wonderful and Classic expression of Chianti Classico. More elegant and refined than the 09 which has more body and a richer fruit. Solid buy.
1 person found this helpful, do you? Yes - No / Comment
6/14/2013 - Paul S wrote: 92 Points
Visit to Castello di Monsanto (Castello di Monsanto, Chianti, Tuscany): This wine has only been very recently released. I thought it was a good showing from a solid, but unpsectacular vintage. The nose showed a touch of wood and some fresh herb amongst rather intense aromas od black cherries, blackberries, and then lighter scents of dried mushrooms, earth and a crack of black pepper. Wonderful aromatics - I really liked that. Unsurprisingly, the palate was rather less opened for business. From the attack, it showed slightly chewy tannins and gobs of juicy acidity, quite a decent but unimposing structure. It was a bit thinner on the fruit than the nose suggested, but showed really pleasant if rather unauthoritative flavours of black cherries and berries, with another seasoning of pepper and some woody herbs. Very yummy- I liked this. This may not the longest aging Chianti Riserva, but it was superbly fresh and nicely refined, and should drink very nicely in the medium term. No harm done cracking a young bottle open now, but I would really give it at least 4-5 years' bottle age. It should hit a nice drinking window shortly after that and go on aging gracefully towards its first decade and a little beyond.
7 people found this helpful, do you? Yes - No / Comment